


Landed

by Koschei_Oakdown



Category: Aquaman (Comics), DC Universe Online, Green Lantern - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Alliances, Arguing, Atlantis, Forehead Touching, Hostile, Kissing, M/M, Parallels, Reminiscing, Royalty, Underwater, Villains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25113160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koschei_Oakdown/pseuds/Koschei_Oakdown
Summary: Set after Atlantis and before Metal I. Sinestro is recruited into accompanying Ocean Master to meet the Justice League - which includes a certain someone.
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Thaal Sinestro
Comments: 15
Kudos: 23





	Landed

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to DC Comics.

Arguing voices could be heard, low, frustrated and hardly an unusual happening in the Hall of Doom. It blended naturally with the hum of machinery and the radiative thrum of teleports, creating an atmospheric sound largely familiar to Sinestro.

Passing through this place had not been a terrible idea. A great deal of time had been spent here by Sinestro, more so than at any other place on Earth. It was almost like a home. Almost. Nowhere on Earth could quite satisfy Sinestro enough for him to consider permanent residency and this place was no different.

Obeying a vague interest in discovering which two supervillains were fighting now, and if it could be taken advantage of, Sinestro made his way up the curved dark metallic landing that led towards Command and Control. There, in the Inner Sanctum, was the answer to his mystery.

Opposed to Thaal's first assumption, only one person sat at the rounded table within the Inner Sanctum. It was he who provided for half the argument while the other was simply a holographic image. Calculator.

Never had Calculator appeared in person. Perhaps he had no true form and was simply a disembodied voice. Was it usual for humans to forgo physical form? Nothing Sinestro had come across on Earth so far would indicate as such but he had never paid it all too much thought and in fact, he didn't care to now either.

The figure seated at the table was clad in blue and purple armour, as per usual for Ocean Master. An elegant staff generally used as a weapon rested propped up against the table beside him. To have it there could have been perceived as a threat but Ocean Master wasn't treating it like one, too busy complaining with accented words.

As quietly as he could, Sinestro approached until he could overhear the conversation with little difficulty. "They will attack me," Ocean Master was saying. "I know they will. You must provide me with protection. As the rightful king of Atlantis, I am owed that much."

With the nearly petulant way Ocean Master spoke, he did not quite make the most magnificent figure Thaal could expect of a ruler. Calculator made no comment on this blatant fact, simply responded in modulated tones, "All members of the Society have tasks assigned that can't be changed just because you're frightened of the Justice League."

Until that point, Sinestro had been listening with a kind of mild curiosity. It increased tenfold now and he was suddenly hyperaware of every following word. Hal Jordan was a member of the Justice League. This could involve him.

"If they terrify you so much," Calculator continued, sounding just a little fed up with all of this, "then stay here until someone can help you. For a substantial price, of course." His voice had changed to something a little more smug.

While Ocean Master protested what he considered to be a "heinous insult" in Calculator's advice, Sinestro slipped into the Inner Sanctum. He of course had permission to go wherever he wanted to, not that he needed it. Should a place be inaccessible to him, he would have no qualms about forcing his way inside.

"It is clear to me now," Sinestro proclaimed in a dramatic greeting, "why we win every battle we enter. Such an astounding display of unity." He smirked to himself and then asked, far more seriously, "Are there not more important things to worry over than this petty squabble?"

Though Orm did look round at Sinestro, it was not he who spoke first. "Why, Sinestro." Calculator impressively managed to match the level of sarcasm Sinestro had given him. "Just the… alien we need for the problem at hand."

And that was how Sinestro found himself escorting Ocean Master to a gathering of heroes in the realm of Atlantis. He didn't protest. It provided the perfect opportunity to speak with Hal in a place where truly fighting would be frowned upon. Always an advantageous situation.

What Sinestro hadn't considered was the discomfort of residing underwater. His ring, of course, provided him with life support but still moving through water at all times was hardly pleasant.

To distract himself, Sinestro engaged Ocean Master in conversation considering Atlantean culture. "Do not giant people-eating fish invade on occasion and cause trouble for you and your people?" It was a valid concern, Thaal had assumed.

The question made Orm look quickly around, as though perhaps he expected to see giant people-eating fish now they had been mentioned. "No," Orm reassured though was just a little too hesitant about it. Then his confidence returned. "Even if they did, my brother, hopeless he may be, has the ability to converse with the fish. He will send away any who attack." 

"Now, Orm." Clad in an ugly orange and green combination, the Atlantean spoken of had appeared. "I hope you aren't telling your 'friend' any unpleasant lies about me." Aquaman, for that of course was his name, crossed his arms and studied Ocean Master with a bit of a frown.

Before Ocean Master could respond with something undoubtedly indignant, Sinestro stepped in, perfectly willing to fulfil his obligation here. "So you don't have the ability to talk with the fish? A pity. Should they invade, your brother will simply have to protect the Atlanteans in your steed. I don't doubt he will prove to be more adept than you are."

To Sinestro's disappointment, the bait was not risen to. "What are you doing here, Sinestro?" Aquaman wasn't impressed or interested at all in what Sinestro had to say. "You shouldn't be in Atlantis."

This time, it was Orm who stepped in. "He is my guest, brother. And you will treat him with the proper respect." True regality had been injected into those words. "If you can bring surface-dwellers here, then so can I."

Aquaman was even less impressed than he'd been before. "I am king," he reminded his brother. "Not you. It is only right that I can do things that you cannot. Besides," he added, eyeing Sinestro now with suspicion, "my friends aren't criminals. I can't say the same for yours, Orm."

The conversation was beginning to feel vaguely familiar, most likely because it was the usual response to Sinestro whenever he encountered any members of the Justice League. All it did was make him think of Hal. Where was Hal? Should he not be here with Aquaman? Or had he perhaps been switched out for another Green Lantern?

If some other Green Lantern had dared to replace Hal, they would soon pay. On that, Sinestro was determined and he inquired of Aquaman, firmly forgetting the previous insult, "And what of our mutual friend? Is he well?"

That Sinestro had so utterly disregarded the previous topic didn't seem to have been noticed by the two Atlanteans. Their attention had instead, to all appearances, been caught by something else over Sinestro's shoulder. "How about," was the sound of Hal's voice, "you ask him yourself?" 

Although every single one of them was currently underwater, it did very little to distort the familiar tones of Hal speaking. Nothing else could it be and Sinestro turned around. In that moment, he had eyes for no one but Hal.

There had been many reasons Thaal had thought of as to why he'd returned to Earth, all purposefully unrelated to Hal. They were pointless. Truly, what else could draw him so indiscriminately? Excusing it to himself was a transparent lie and also a complete waste of time.

Green light glowed, far more substantial in the dark water. That colour, Thaal would rather not see. It was an irritation to be reminded of that which kept him from Hal. It was an irritation to be reminded of all he'd lost.

While Sinestro's gaze remained fixed on Hal, he sensed more than saw Ocean Master move to stand beside him. There was something stiff in the way Orm stood, some discomfort. Finally, Sinestro did look at him and at the squared shoulders, the posture of a cornered animal attempting to appear far bigger and dangerous than he truly was.

Certainly, Hal was terrifying but Thaal was unused to anyone other than himself recognising it. He followed Ocean Master's gaze and understood. Hal Jordan was not the only member of the Justice League who had arrived.

Back in the Hall of Doom, Sinestro along with Calculator had been amused by Ocean Master's terror of facing the Justice League alone. Now it seemed perfectly reasonable. The Justice League, should they choose to, could band together with the entirety of Atlantis to destroy the two outsiders in their midst. It would not be difficult.

In usual circumstances, battling the entire Justice League with only two people would be considered an unfair fight. This was much worse and Sinestro unconsciously adopted a similar posture to Ocean Master's.

Any undercurrent of hostility had apparently passed right by Hal. There was a slight smile on his lips as he dropped lightly to the floor beside Sinestro and patted him casually on the shoulder. It was similar to an electric shock. "Hey," Hal greeted. "I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking… although it's not really any of your business."

One might have thought Hal's words were a rebuke. The smile still curling at his lips said otherwise. He'd placed his body between Sinestro and the Justice League. Perhaps it was intentional. Perhaps it was not. Either way, should the Justice League attack, it was Hal they would be forced to target.

Moving things along, Aquaman clapped his hands together. "Onto the tour," he announced. "Now that the tyrant has been removed from the throne, it is once again safe for the people of Atlantis…" As he left, taking all but Hal, Sinestro and Ocean Master with him, he continued to explain about why it was so safe.

Once the group was out of earshot, Ocean Master relaxed a little and said to Sinestro, "That went far better than I had expected. Excuse my brother's hostilities. His time as king will soon be over."

Hal laughed and dropped his hand from Sinestro's shoulder. "Didn't that already happen? If I had a dollar for every new Lantern calling me up because they don't know how to breathe underwater and Arthur has gone and gotten himself stabbed through the chest…"

"My Lanterns encountered a similar difficulty," Sinestro commented, upper lip curling with distaste at the memory of constant interruption. "Fools. After only a day of their whining, I contacted Calculator. He is now aware, in excruciating detail, of just how a Lantern survives in the depths of an ocean."

Perhaps in appreciation of Sinestro's incredible foresight, Hal hummed and then he asked, addressing both Ocean Master and Sinestro, "He's your Oracle, isn't he? Wish I'd thought of that."

With a kind of important air, Ocean Master nodded. "That is what the technological mastermind has referred to himself as, yes. He seems to relish the comparison. I can't imagine why." No doubt Orm would be repelled by being known only for his relation to his brother.

"It is" - Sinestro was careful and considerate as he spoke - "the obsession that comes with defining oneself upon another. And in being created through that relationship." His eyes were on Hal.

A moment passed before Hal caught on, brow lifted skeptically. "I'm not obsessed with you," he debunked. "Even if I was, that wouldn't be why." His expression was tight but there was no dishonesty in his words.

"Then perhaps…" Sinestro trailed off and was suddenly quite aware of Orm listening intently to every word. He turned to the Atlantean. "Perhaps you ought to check if the Justice League has finished exploring your home."

Orm looked affronted. "Foolish alien. They've only just left!" But he soon quailed under Sinestro's glare. "Alright. I was just going," he said quickly and hurried off, staff dragging sadly along the ground behind him. It wasn't long before he was out of sight.

There was an amused sound and Sinestro turned to Hal who was watching the spot where Ocean Master had disappeared. "Not bad," the Green Lantern said. "I've been here less than five minutes and you've already managed to get yourself alone with me. So tell me… is this an assassination attempt?" 

Always, Hal would assume the worst of Sinestro but he couldn't really be blamed for it. "Of course not," was Sinestro's dismissive answer. The thought hadn't even occurred to him. To kill Hal would be a regrettable waste. "Can I not simply wish to speak with you?"

Hal's gaze searched Sinestro for some unknown quality and then flicked away. "If you say so," he said. Any amusement had faded away and Hal turned his back, apparently so he could instead eye up some of the nearby Atlantean architecture.

Admittedly, this place was rather beautiful and it certainly impressed Sinestro far more than what he had seen of the rest of Earth, but still it could never be comparable to Korugar. Nor to himself. So how had it succeeded in pulling Hal's attention away?

Seconds passed with neither Hal nor Sinestro speaking a word. Finally Hal sighed and, hair wavy in the water, he tilted his head to the side. "I thought it would be different," he confessed out of nowhere. "After Nekron and everything. But it's not, is it?" His shoulders lifted and fell again. "I don't know what I was thinking."

This mood of Hal's was unpredictable. In fact, Hal was most often unpredictable and now was simply no different than usual. Sinestro approached him with cautious steps. "You are not satisfied by what we accomplished together," he guessed.

Frowning slightly, Hal faced Sinestro and grasped for the Korugarian's shoulder as though to control any further approach. "I didn't say that," Hal rebuked. His gaze slipped from Sinestro's to his own hand and where it was gripping. That grip relaxed somewhat, as did Hal's expression.

Whatever substance surrounded them, whether it be the atmosphere of a distant planet, the vacuum of space or even dark shimmering blue water such as now, Hal's touch remained the same. Blazing warmth radiated through everything in its path.

That touch moved up and cupped the side of Sinestro's neck. "Do you think it's wrong," Hal began and his eyes were back to fixing on Sinestro's, so large and pearly white with the minimal distance between the two Lanterns, "to hope for a new world ending event? Just forget all of this again. Focus on the important things."

This time there was no confusion. To join with Hal once more in pursuit of universal protection was a brilliant thought. Whatever other problems might arise, such an occasion could not be outmatched and now Thaal was distracted by his own surge of longing. He wanted Hal with him.

Like a snake striking prey, Sinestro snatched at Hal's side but he wasn't the only one who had moved. He was pushed back and he knocked something off its pedestal as he hit the wall. Then he was engulfed by Hal.

There was the briefest spark of alarm, Sinestro's self preservation flaring up at a possible attack from a Green Lantern. It quickly vanished. Hal's lips were wet and salty, a consequence of the water that surrounded them both. Apart from that, nothing had truly changed about Hal.

Synthesised air rushed in through Sinestro's nostrils as he pressed closer, as he reached out, grabbed and pulled Hal to him. Maybe it was the eerie water-filled surroundings, how they flowed over every part of Sinestro's body like a cocoon but he felt detached from all outside influence. Only himself and Hal mattered.

Under Sinestro's palms where they slid against Hal's back, the smooth surface of green light construct was cool, iron willpower lacing together to form an armour coating. That was Hal's willpower and Sinestro was enamoured by its strength.

Any desperation, any urgency had eased off and Thaal was content. It was an odd sensation, a lightness in his chest he barely recognised and wished to hold onto it. That was when Hal shifted back and sight suddenly returned.

A palette of colours filled Sinestro's vision, the bright magenta of his own skin mixed with the dull pale of Hal's. Green and yellow light shone together, along with the brown of Hal's hair and the black of Sinestro's nails. Saturating it all was the constant blue sheen of Atlantis waters. Quite possibly, no other selection of colours could be as beautiful.

The white of Hal's eyes gleamed, slits only, and his gaze was downcast, forehead pressed to Sinestro's. "I like it here," he revealed in an undertone. "I've never been exactly big on Atlantis but -" He trailed off with a slight shrug and lifted his head just slightly, fixating once more on Sinestro.

While certainly untrue and would no doubt be revealed as such with time, the dark water and its thick substance was comparable to a cloak. No Lanterns could reach within it to drag the occupants away. This was a place where it could perhaps be safe, even if that instinct of safety was only an illusion.

Perhaps that was what Hal had referred to. Or perhaps he simply meant to indicate that he enjoyed their location only because Sinestro was there with him. If so, it was understandable. Which place could be worth attending without Hal there as a lure? Very few. It was Hal, after all, who had brought Sinestro here to Atlantis.

As though magnetised, Sinestro's fingers were drawn to Hal's jaw. Of all the creatures in the universe, why must it be Hal he could not pull away from? Hal was simply too magnificent to be denied.

"Sinestro!" It was Ocean Master returning, hurrying along the seafloor and Sinestro forced himself to step out from and away from Hal. His foot crunched down on a shattered piece of Atlantean artifact. It had, he recalled, been knocked to the ground by him moments before.

While Sinestro glanced curiously at the broken object, unsure if it had been important, Ocean Master came to a halt and he didn't appear to be out of breath from his mad dash. Did he in fact breathe? As a creature born in and of the ocean, surely it was unreasonable to need air.

A small frown crossed Sinestro's lips as he considered but Orm was continuing now, "You must help - What is that?" The Atlantean was staring aghast at the broken artifact. "Once priceless and now lying in ruins upon the floor! Who could have done such a thing?"

Like always, Sinestro's first instinct was to lie and the words were on the tip of his tongue. Truly though, there was no need and the only person he could shift the blame to was Hal. It seemed unnecessarily cruel.

"Consider it my price for accompanying you here," Sinestro offered the smooth answer, carefully brushing away the fragments of artifact with his foot. "And for helping with whatever has gone awry. Have you antagonised the Justice League?"

Though Ocean Master opened his mouth to respond, he quickly stopped and sent a suspicious look to the Green Lantern at Sinestro's shoulder. It occurred to Sinestro how odd it may appear that he himself had few reservations on the topics he could discuss in front of Hal.

Perhaps Sinestro simply didn't believe Hal could use, in any meaningful way, the information he might reveal. Perhaps Hal wouldn't want to. Either way, it had to involve a certain level of trust.

Before Ocean Master could decide whether to speak or not, the Justice League returned. There was something hurried in their pace, something quickened, and Sinestro strode forward to place himself before his Atlantean ally. If it came to a fight, he wouldn't back down.

To Sinestro's surprise, he soon found Hal standing beside him. "What are you doing?" he had to ask the human though he kept his voice quiet. "Should you not be on the side of your friends?" He indicated to the Justice League.

Briefly, Hal smiled at him. "Aren't I?" was his retort. Sinestro was momentarily confused before Hal added on, with a slight smile, "Aren't you my friend, Thaal?" He clapped Sinestro's shoulder. "As far as I can tell, you've done nothing wrong. Not today, anyway. Why wouldn't I be on your side?"

Weren't there many reasons? Sinestro was sure there were but he also didn't want to remind Hal and lose the wonderful presence at his side. So, with a short nod, he said nothing further and turned instead to face the oncoming Justice League.


End file.
